Couples Defense: What You Can Do With Your Partner To Stay Safe

The following excerpt is from an article that originally appeared on Survival Life

Forget the chocolate and flowers! What better way to say I love you this Valentine’s Day than to commit to staying safe with your partner. This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate couples defense as a vital skill everyone should learn.

Couples Defense Is Part of The Survivalist Mentality

The world is constantly changing, and in the United States alone there were 3 million preppers in 2013. There isn’t exactly a checkbox to register as a prepper, but the prepping, survivalist and homesteading lifestyles have been on the rise. A decade ago prepping and the survivalist mindset was seen as dramatic and drastic, but in 2018 it’s a common topic. Between the possible threat from other countries, and the equally frightening threat of natural disasters being a prepper makes more and more sense. Even blizzards on the east coast have names now because of their ferocity, being prepared with survival skills to handle natural disasters, or more, is essential, but what can you do to stay safe with a partner?

Planning is part of couples defense

Planning is important when you’re prepping with a partner. Survival is based on strategy and having a solid plan. If you’re together when a situation inevitably happens what’s your plan? Are you staying in place? Moving? What is your game plan if you’re separated when everything goes down? If you’re both at work where are you meeting? Do you both have survival kits in your car just in case? Being prepared and having a solid plan can be the difference between life and death. Make a plan together, ensures both parties know what their side of the plan entails. Together you should figure out if you want to stay at your home or if you want to bug out, plan for both. Agree on a location to meet up again just in case you’re separated when something terrible happens.

Learn how to defend each other

Does your partner know how to defend themselves? Are they skilled at knife throwing or an expert marksman? To defend each other, without one being a burden to the other, you both need to know how to defend each other, and you need to play off each other’s strengths. You can also play off of each other’s strengths when it comes to regular duties, such as purifying water or hunting. Both of you should know hand to hand and long distance techniques to ensure you can keep each other safe in multiple scenarios. Learning a fighting style, or learning how to shoot with your partner, are both tactics that can help you stay safe while also giving you someone with whom you can train. Most importantly though, you need to be sure your partner is on board with the defense plan.

Get in shape and stay in shape

You don’t want to be the person who knows karate but can’t execute the proper moves because you are out of shape. You need to stay in shape while keeping on top of your self-defense game. Make sure you’re in top shape, cardio is essential, in case you need to get out of a dangerous situation fast. Eat right and work out regularly. Being prepared doesn’t mean getting ready and then being sedentary, it means getting ready, and then staying ready. A regular workout regimen, which you can do together, keeps you in shape while giving you a partner to hold you accountable.

Couples defense requires you to be prepared for anything

If something happens, either a natural disaster or something more sinister, you need to be ready. A bug out bag is what a lot of enthusiasts put together and regularly maintain. They have limited supplies of food, water, a way to purify water, medical necessities, along with anything else you may need. The most significant mistake when getting a bug out, or go bag, together is over packing. You’ll need to pack light, remember to play off each other’s strengths. For example, if one of you is faster and stronger, they should carry the heavier objects. You need to stay together and work together. Travel light, only with necessities, such as food, water, a water purifier, a change of socks, feminine hygiene items if one of you is female and perhaps collapsible cookware. As little as possible is what you’re aiming for. Plan out your bug out bags ahead of time, and keep your bags up to date.

You can also start stockpiling resources such as medical supplies, canned goods, and dehydrated foods. Take a look at emergency response lists; they may have different objects you might be forgetting about. Preparing for survival at home isn’t difficult, you can compile resources regularly, but you should always be prepared to bug out, just in case your home is compromised.

Know basic first aid

If neither of you is a doctor or nurse, learning basic first aid skills together is essential. In a survival situation, a small cut from the wrong piece of wood or metal can make you sicker than any sneeze. Tetanus alone can kill if you’re not up to date on your shots, and you need to be prepared with any medicines either of you may require regularly. Always be sure you’re up to date on your shots, and learn basic first aid together such as how to clean and stitch wounds and stop bleeding. It’d also be wise to stock up on antibiotics and pain relievers or painkillers if you can, you’ll never know when they’ll be helpful. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use the knowledge, but if you need it, then you’ll have it.

Learn the basics together

Worst case scenario your home has been ransacked, and all your gear and materials have been compromised if not stolen. Do you know how to survive without all of your things? Knowing how to find food, purify water, and handle defenses without having all your gear can be the difference between life and death. Always prepare for the worst-case scenario. If you lose or break your water purifier, do you know how to make one? Do you know what part of an animal to eat, and what parts you shouldn’t eat? Do you know how to hunt, kill, skin and prepare that animal? How about how to build an adequate shelter? Knowledge is power, and being ready for the worst case scenario is the best for your survival. Learn the basics together, if you forget how to purify water than your significant other will likely remember.

How will pets fit into your couples defense plan?

If you have pets how do they fit into your plan? Will you abandon them, or take them with you? Taking them with you is hopefully what you’ll choose, and if you do, you’ll need to prep for them too. How are you keeping them safe? Whose job is it to watch them? Are they cats or dogs? What are they eating or drinking? Dogs in a disaster situation are more useful than cats; they help deter people from approaching you keeping you safer. Cats are less helpful, but you should still bring them with you if you can. Plan together about how you’ll handle the pet situation if a disaster strikes.

Use couples defense tactics to prepare for the worst

When you’re planning to survive you need to prepare for the worst. Plan, to either bug out to a secondary location, or stay in your home. Are you bringing your pets or not? Are you physically ready to defend yourself and your things? Do you have all your bug out bags ready and necessary medicine tucked away? There is no such thing as being too prepared when it comes to survival. Preparing for survival alone is a full-time job, but preparing to defend each other with your partner ensures you can focus on your strengths. You can hold each other accountable for different aspects of prepping, and ensure that you’re ready, no matter when disaster strikes.

This Valentines Day promise your loved one that you will work with him/her to prepare a couples defense strategy that will protect you both!